Geological and geophysical study of salt diapirs for hazardous waste disposal

Abstract

Solving the problem of waste is one of the central tasks of environmental protection. It is becoming increasingly difficult to find suitable sites that are acceptable to the public. Salt and salt formations have relevant properties to be utilizing as a repository for each kind of waste. The favourable properties of salt make rock salt highly suitable as a host rock, in particular for non-radioactive and radioactive wastes. Tehran and suburb as an industrial state require a waste reservoir. The Great Kavir (the largest salt desert in Iran) with more than 50 diapirs has surrounded the eastern and southern part of Tehran Province. The Qom and Garmsar basins are the nearest salt diapirs to Tehran province, and there are suitable repository for waste disposal. Great Kavir diapirs have been investigated as a case study based on surface and subsurface studies for its suitability to host a repository for various types of waste. The procedure should be based on field work for surface investigation and also include geophysical studies for subsurface investigations. This research work is presented in regard to site selection in the Central Iran Salt Basins for deposition of only certain types of waste. Results of this study will indicate if the Central Iran Salt Basins are appropriate place to deposit industrial wastes in the deep bedded salt.